December 2009
“Eternal Vigilance”
may not be their motto, but it is a perfect description of these bikers in all kinds of uniforms. Christmas seems the proper time to remember these givers...and their deeds.
Patriot Guard honors residents of Clifford Chester Sims State Veterans’ Nursing Home in Panama City. Cops and Kids 2009 American Legion Riders Strut their Stuff for Veterans Day Parade! Ride The Blue Ridge in the Fall Dress for Winter Riding in the Panhandle!
December 2009
A David Woodby Media Online Publication davidwoodbymedia@gmail.com
http://www.panhandlebiker.com
Eternal Vigilance David Woodby
American Legion Riders-Veterans Day Photos by Mark Long
Ride the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Falld Blake Reed
Patriot Guard Riders-Sims Nursing Home Photos by Mark Long
Cops and Kids 2009 Photos by Max Bugg
Brake It Like You Mean It! Michael McMillan
Easy Rider, The Quest “PK” Kaby
Motorcycle Management Michael McMillan
Dress for Safety David Woodby
Into the Sunset t
David Woodby aka “Lizard”he
Blue Ridge Parkway
Listen up, because I’m only gonna say this once. The people you will see this issue don’t do what they do for glory, or for recognition, or for any rewards they expect to receive on this earth. They believe they are ordinary people; frankly, I don’t think they are ordinary at all. The American Legion Riders, The Patriot Guard, The VietNam Vets/Legacy Vets, the Blue Knights (Law Enforcement), Fire & Iron (Firefighters), the AmVet Riders, the Sentinels of Freedom, the Veterans Brotherhood, the list is endless...and all are men or women who have already served their country, their cities, and their society above and beyond what was required of them as citizens. As they take care of their families’ everyday needs, they still feel the need to give more an more of themselves, their talents, their time, and their money. Now you can scuff your boots, turn your heads, and look embarassed if you feel the need, but I call that Love.The real kind of love, that asks for nothing and gives all. Love of Country, love of families, love of kids, and a feeling of responsibility not just for carrying the burden, but passing it on to the brothers and sisters who will follow them. It’s the kind of love that makes them stand straight and tall when the National Anthem is played at football games and social events, silent, with their hands held over their hearts or proudly rendering the hand salutes that are the priveleged greeting of one warrior to another. It’s the kind of love that cannot abide the thought of other Americans going hungry at Christmas or Thanksgiving, or cold for lack of a coat in winter. It’s the kind of love that volunteers whole groups to help Habitat for Humanity, or Blood Drives, or drives to campaign for more research and treatment of various diseases. These bikers are proud to stand with other Biker groups who do the same things, and are ever willing to commit their efforts to help. As you read this, you may feel a lump in your throat, and you may feel a little misty eyed...at least I hope you do. If what you have read here makes you feel a little proud of your veterans, your policemen, your firemen and the other millions of people in the United States that serve you, your family, and preserve your liberty, then good for you. Beside every biker there are 10 empty spaces, spaces left open by brothers and sisters who have passed on, and room for brothers and sisters yet to come. We have to fill those spaces with living, breathing caring human beings committed to the service of others...and we need to fill those spaces with other people who have the good taste to love motorcycles. Make a point this coming year of committing yourself to serving the people of your choice. Make your love of motorcycling count for more than just your own personal pleasure. You will never feel more alive, more fulfilled, more needed, and you will never be any happier.
Ride Hard, Ride Safe, Arrive Alive!
PhotosCourtesy CourtesyofofMark MarkLong Long Photos
American Legion Riders, Veterans Day 2009
Ride the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Fall by Blake Reed
As an Army brat, I had the opportunity to see people, places, and things that most American kids never get a chance to experience. The only thing I did not get to do was to keep all the friends I made. The miracle that is the internet has allowed me to recover some of those friends, and bring a continuity to my life I never dreamed I would have. Blake is one of those old friends. We were Boy Scouts together in Cedar Falls, Iowa. His older brother taught me to fish, and his father, Mr. Ed, taught me patience and understanding as the best means of getting along with other people. Now Blake and I both belong to the brotherhood that loves motorcycles, freedom, and this good Earth. If you are looking for a unique motorcycle experience, jump on the bike and ride to North Carolina when the leaves are turning. The combination of beautiful mountain colors and the twisting and turning roads is something you will never forget. I selected Brevard, North Carolina for my initial destination because it is near the Blue Ridge Parkway and also because it is in Transylvania County the “Land of Waterfalls”. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469 mile stretch of highway known for its year around scenic beauty and a great place to ride a motorcycle. I waited until reports from North Carolina and the Blue Ridge Parkway said that the leaves were at their “peak colors” before I set out on my trip. I rode my Harley Softail up to North Carolina from the south on highway 441 staying off the boring interstate highways. My mountain riding experience actually started when I got to Dillard, Georgia and turned off to the east on highway 246. Almost immediately I hit the mountain foothills, winding roads and beautiful country side. I stopped at every scenic overlook along the way to see the fantastic colors that nature provides during the autumn season. On this route I stopped for lunch in a mountain town called The Highlands. I just had to park the bike and take a walk in business area located on a short boulevard which runs through the downtown part of The Highlands. After a great meal I finished my ride to Brevard to check out where I would be spending the night, but more about that later. The trip to Brevard plus a little extra sight seeing was a good days ride for me so it was time to kick back for the night. The next morning, after a
cup of coffee, I started my ride from Brevard up to the parkway. Again I didn’t pass up any scenic overlooks and a couple took me to some great waterfalls. I rode over 100 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway that day and saw the most beautiful mountain scenery that I have ever seen in my life! The best time to visit the Brevard area in peak autumn season is during the week if you can. The weekends can get pretty crowded. On weekdays Monday through Thursday there is a lot less traffic and you have a better chance of getting a hotel room for the night. I wanted to find a mountain cabin this trip instead of the normal hotel room. I found a place about 8 miles south of Brevard called Rushing Water Cabins. When ever I hear the words rustic or quaint associated with a cabin it usually means old and run down. Rushing Water Cabins are older units but well kept and very clean. All of the cabins are built next to a swift moving mountain stream that is very soothing to see and hear. Glenn and Debbie McCandless, two of the nicest people you will ever meet, own and operate this resort get away. The cabin I stayed in was called “The Crooked Cabin” which is one of three cabins currently available for rent. Glenn even offered a covered area, which they call “The Barn” for me to park my bike in. I think the best part about my stay at Rushing Water Cabins was listening to the sound of Steel Creek lulling me to sleep at night. If you want to stay in the Brevard area give Glenn or Debbie a call at 828-885-2226 or visit their web site at www.rushingwatercabins.com If you do decide to call tell them Blake says hello and will see them next year. Milledgeville, Georgia
Do you ever wonder what these guys do with their “spare” time, you know, when they aren’t spending time working extra jobs to make up for the fact that they are generally poorly paid? Some guys just can’t find enough hours in the day to give all the good they have inside. Cops and Kids is a very special program... made all the more special because of the special people who make it happen. While you’re at it, look at the Veterans ...hand in hand with the cops!
Cops and Kids 2009
Mad Max, in the esh!
Scribes
Legislative Voice
NOVEMBER, 2009 VOLUME 001, ISSUE 5
H
ABATE OF FLORIDA, INC.
appy Thanksgiving everyone! This month the Legislative Voice is focusing on the “legislative process” and how we can influence it. In the October issue, I gave examples of different ways to reach out to your legislator. This month you will learn about the process and see why it is important for us to be vigilant all along the way. The legislative process is a long and perilous journey for a Bill, yet there are many places where we can help to advance or stop a Bill. DARRIN “SCRIBE” BROOKS, State Legislative Trustee, ABATE of Florida, Inc.
How We Can Influence the Legislative Process. The first line of the ABATE of Florida, Inc. mission statement is that we “lobby and educate the government and the general public to promote motorcycling in a safe and positive image.” Lobbying and educating the legislators IS how we influence the legislative process and it is something that all of us must strive to do. But how do we do that?
First, we must be informed about our rights as motorcyclists and learn about the legislation that we seek to promote or defeat. We also must be knowledgeable about the process it takes for a Bill to become a Law. When you know about the issues and about the long pathway the Bill will travel, you will be better equipped to provide a little bit of influence at just the right time.
We also influence the process by developing a relationship with our legislators. Most will openly admit that they do not know everything about all
ABATE of Florida, Inc.
the Bills each session. When you have a good relationship you can step up and help educate them and their staff about the issues that will either negatively or positively affect motorcyclists. We cannot help them if they do not know who we are. By reaching out to them early and establishing ourselves as members of Florida’s largest motorcycle rights organization, you provide the credibility to help influence the process.
Finally, you cannot influence the process if you do not participate in the process. You must e-mail and/or call your legislators office when asked to help. Our lobbyist, Doc Reichenbach, will testify at the committee hearings, but we will also need your call and/or e-mail. As the Bill goes into a committee, I will send out a notice to those Chapters whose legislators are on the committee. It will take several calls, for the path is long, but what is five minutes out of your life to help provide a little influence?
November 2009
Legislative Voice
“Success always comes when Preparation meets Opportunity.” ~ Henry Hartman The above quote gives a great example of how a united band of bikers can influence the legislative process. The past few months we have been preparing by reaching out and inviting our legislators to our Chapter meetings. We have been getting to know them and educating them about who we are and what ABATE of Florida, Inc is all about. We are prepared to reach out to our legislators by phone, e-mail, or in person. Now we just need to make the most of the opportunities when they present themselves this legislative season. On the second page, I have re-printed,with permission, from the Clerk of the Florida House of Representatives a wonderful flow chart explaining how a Bill becomes a Law. Keep it handy this session so you can follow the Bills we are watching.
Designed by Makayla “Scribble” Brooks
Brake It Like You Mean It! Michael McMillan
A friend recently asked me a question about braking her motorcycle. She had gotten into a tight situation in traffic and upon emergency braking had committed the classic error of locking up the rear wheel while underutilizing the front brake. This, of course produced the exact same result that it has always produced since the first motorcycle was invented in 1867*; a sideways slide where the bike’s rear wheel was trying earnestly to pass the front wheel. While she didn’t crash, it did scare her enough that she was seeking remedies. Good for her for having the presence of mind to save it and not claim she “had to lay it down.” (Crashing a bike to avoid a crash is still a crash; don’t even get me started on that topic.) Additionally, I admire her for analyzing the near-miss and having the desire to fix the problem. She sent an email that contained the following in reference to her overuse of the rear brake and under use of the front: I can’t figure out why I do that on the road but do just fine with it in the parking lot. I know I am heavy on the rear brake and almost timid with the front brake - I’ve done that a few times now. Yesterday when I got back from our ride I went directly to the parking lot and practiced the braking skills and did fine. I’m just going to spend 10-15 minutes in a parking lot every time I take the bike out until it becomes natural and automatic everytime I need the quick braking skills. Any other suggestions? Her mention of the ‘parking lot’ is Skills Day where the Sand Dollar Motorcycle Club gets together as a group one weekend a month and instead of going for a ride, we work on various riding skills (we go for a ride the other three weekends.). Braking practice is a biggie for us since it along with hazard avoidance swerving are the two skills most likely to save your life in traffic. And I can attest that she does indeed brake well and properly “in the parking lot”. My response to her began with a guess that the reason she used more rear and not much front brake in an emergency is that’s the way she brakes most of the time in normal traffic. Then at Skills Day or when practicing in a parking lot alone, she actually focuses on proper front brake technique. If my guess is right, most of the rest of the time, when braking is not the focal point, she reverts to her original habit because her attention is elsewhere (other traffic, the up-coming intersection, ‘is that child gonna run out in front of me?’, etc.). In an *The first gasoline powered motorcycle was created in 1885 by a German named Gottlieb Daimler, the guy who also is often credited with the first gas powered automobile. The first self-powered vehicle that had two wheels the same size was a converted “Safety” bicycle that had a coal-fired steam engine, in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1867 by an American, Sylvester Howard Roper.18 years earlier!
emergency when you don’t have time to think and are simply reacting as quickly as pos sible, you will do whatever it is that you usually do; a complex neuro-muscular process known as muscle memory. Athletes at the highest levels live and die by this concept. Most of you have probably seen the movie ‘The Karate Kid’ and will remember that “Wax on. Wax off” had very little to do with wax and everything to do with muscle memory. It also eventually saved Daniel-san’s bacon. Do you use your front brake properly every time you need brakes? If you’re an ‘average’ rider, the answer to that question is probably no. As a full time teacher of motorcycle riding safety techniques, the excuse I most often hear is, “I just use my rear brake when I’m riding around town. When I NEED that front brake, I’ll use it then.” Problem with that theory is the human body does not work that way. As noted above, in an emergency, you will do whatever you’ve been doing routinely. They say it takes the brain and body two weeks to unlearn a habit and another two weeks to (permanently) form a new one, so try the following: 1. Try using only your front brake for a week or so until you get used to actually using it properly on a day-to-day, stop-by-stop basis. Do this a LOT, not just a few times experimentally. You’re breaking a habit. It may not take two weeks of 100% usage but it needs to be done many times to disconnect the established mental and physical habituation. If you deny yourself the back brake completely, you’ll find out very quickly if you haven’t been using the front one much in traffic. Since the front brake is at least 70% of available stopping power, you will still have more braking available to you than what you’ve been doing, even though you’re only using the front one. Doing heavy/primary braking with your rear brake usually results in a locked up wheel that isn’t doing much of anything for you other than making it far more likely that the bike will slide around sideways into a low-side crash. That would be the classic “I had to lay it down” excuse that has been used sooooo many times by people who don’t brake properly. Using only the front brake will not cause your bike to “Swap Ends”. Interestingly, that particular problem is pretty much always caused by relying too much on the rear brake. It also will not “throw you over the handlebars” and it cannot cause your rear tire to leave the ground and continue to rotate forward so that your bike goes end over end. Ask any sport bike rider who does ‘stoppies’ and they will tell you that getting the rear tire that high in the air takes a special technique, a good bit of effort and a tremendous amount of practice! All of these brake myths are perpetuated by those who were told (or who told someone) these tales to explain away a crash caused by using the front brake wrongly. There is most definitely a ‘right way’ to use the front brake and it takes practice, too. And lots of it. 2. When using the front brake, and especially if using the above recommended front-brakeonly technique, try thinking in terms of twisting the top off of a bottle of soda that’s been given a thorough shaking. As anyone who has ever tried it knows, this is a process that must be done slowly and with care. The initial movement especially must be very small and smooth and slow, do it right and then you can go progressively more firmly and quickly. Using this ‘small input’ braking strategy at low speeds while turning is particularly critical. When stopping in parking lots, or any other place you might be coming to a stop with the handlebars turned, be very careful with the initial application of the front brake. Gently, gently, gently. You never, ever GRAB or tug at the front brake - you squeeeeeeze it. For those with firearms experience, you will immediately recognize that as good trigger technique. Consider your front brake lever your ‘stopping trigger’. Good trigger technique is the difference between those who shoot, and those who shoot really well.
3. When you do resume using the back brake, only put your big toe on the pedal. Try to train yourself to quit using the entire front half of your foot. Big-toe-only modulates the pressure being applied much more accurately and results in less lock-up. Less lock-up equals more control. 4. When you start to use the toe-only technique, try to avoid consciously pressing down firmly on the pedal. Don’t resist pressing the pedal completely, just put your toe on it and let it happen. There is normally enough pressure applied unconsciously through forward momentum, also known as inertia, which is the tendency of an object (such as your foot) whether at rest or in motion, to keep doing whatever it was doing until acted on by another force. Just rest your toe on the brake pedal and let the laws of physics do the rest. The harder your stop, the more force is applied; it really works out quite well. Pressure required for good rear braking can vary considerably from bike to bike so work your way up in pressure slowly. Practice. Being aware of your habits on a motorcycle can make a big difference in your life, both in terms of its quality and length. ‘Practice’ does not always ‘make perfect’. Practicing wrongly just ingrains a bad habit even further. Try practicing braking the right way and maybe someday it’ll save your bacon. “This article is Copyrighted by Michael Grey McMillan, 2009, and cannot be reproduced or used without written permission from the author. Author can be contacted at greymcmillan@hotmail.com”
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Easy Rider...The Quest submitted by “PK” Kaby Ask any motorcyclist to name their top five motorcycle movies and inevitably Easy Rider will be on the vast majority of those lists. The 1969 movie is iconic of the anti-establishment idealism that was pervasive of the late ‘60’s and struck a chord in young and old alike. Recently, the Sandollar Motorcycle Club set out on a quest to find the exact location of the final scene of the movie in Louisiana. Here is an excerpt from the blog of Honorary Sandie Steve regarding this quest. …What George [Sandollar Road Captain] wanted was this. He wanted to know EXACTLY where Wyatt’s bike had burned on La.105 during the final scene of Easy Rider. I’d heard it was above Melville. That was from a native. I’d run up and down that stretch between Melville and Simmesport and never saw anything that said it was the place. I told George that and he said thanks and that he’d look elsewhere, and that maybe he’d even try contacting Peter Fonda. I asked that he keep me up to date on his progress and told him I’d do what I could to help on my end. I wish I’d kept our exchanges because what happened next is a little blurry. While he was off banging on locked doors, I got interested because I hate questions that I know can be answered but aren’t. That movie was a part of an era. To Louisianians, it was more. The movie used our state to make a statement at our expense. It used our people and it used our space. It painted us with a broad brush as hicks and murderers. It was no comedy. It was passion and prejudice come to town. I felt strongly about the movie as I walked away from the theater 40 years ago and I still feel strongly about it, though from a very different perspective.
Back to the hunt. I’ve seen the locations of scenes in other parts of the country, and, yes, even in Louisiana, pinpointed by “Easy Rider” sites. Nowhere have I found any one that marked the exact spot where the bike exploded and burned. I saw, “above Krotz Springs”, repeated over and over. “Above Krotz Spring” takes in a large area. I don’t believe those sites were authored by Louisianians. George wrote and said he’d joined a Krotz Springs forum and asked the locals. I thought to myself, “this dude is serious”. The most exact explanation that he was able to get was, “three or four miles above town”. I was still betting on my local since he’d said the movie was the biggest thing to ever happen in Melville, but, I was never able to make anything out of his vague description. I’d follow George’s guidance. He and I both had the last scene of the movie to work with. He and I both had Garmin’s map software. We both had the use of Google Earth. What was lacking was a landmark I’d recognize. Back before I followed railroad tracks all over the place, I followed bayous. Several of those bayous ended at the Atchafalaya levee. They are now stagnant ghosts of their former selves, but still survive to a degree right up to the road, La.105. I noticed that right across from the burning bike was a yellow green body of water touching the levee. I went to the Garmin Topographic software and counted the bayous that touched the road starting north of KS. There was Two Mile Bayou, a sometimes arm of Three Mile Bayou and the main stream of Three Mile Bayou. But, it was 2.2 miles above town, not the 3 or 4 which the local had suggested to George. There was something else in the picture, the roof of a house. Feeling it was time, I went to Krotz Spings and rode up 105. I could not believe it. All the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. All the requirements were fulfilled. I shook my head standing on the crest of the levee imagining the camera being hoisted by a noisy helicopter 40 years ago while the song, The Ballad of Easy Rider, co written by Bob Dylan and Roger McGuinn played on. I thought of a generation who, at least for a while, were moved to passion and prejudice aligned with the times. A line from the Grateful Dead’s song, “Trucking”, which states, “Lately it occurs to me, what a long strange trip it’s been”, came to mind. Finding the place closed the book for me. It was a movie. There was no cross marking the spot, no monument, nothing, and rightfully so. What the place does correctly represent is a marker in the lives of many when passions and prejudice were brought to a boil.
Ride hard Ride Safe Arrive Alive!
George put forth that thought,”I’m bringing a load of folks next weekend that want to touch a part of the youth that made America, well, different, but, a new place”. I could dig it. George had it right, the place was a tangible footnote in history. It swayed an unknown portion of a generation to think differently. It may have even angered a “love child” into acts of violence. Tracing the power of that final scene to what was to happen later is another mystery where there are only clues. More of Steve’s Blog and other writings of ridings can be found at http://historyhunts. blogspot.com/2009/11/low-road-tour.html The Sandollar Motorcycle club is the premier AMA chartered motorcycle club on the NW Florida Gulf Coast and welcomes all riders regardless of type of bike. Visit their website at www.sandollarmotorcycleclub.com or find them on MySpace and Facebook.
Happily Married Biker Badass Biker Bob wakes up at home with a huge hangover. He forces himself to open his eyes, and the first thing he sees is a couple of aspirins and a glass of water on the side table. He sits up and sees his clothing in front of him, all clean and pressed. Bob looks around the room and sees that it is in perfect order, spotless, clean. So is the rest of the house. He takes the aspirins and notices a note on the table: “Honey, breakfast is on the stove, I left early to go shopping. Love you.” So he goes to the kitchen, and sure enough there is a hot breakfast and the morning newspaper. His son is also at the table, eating. Bob asks, “Son, what happened last night?” His son says, “Well, you came home after 3 A.M., drunk and delirious, broke some furniture, puked in the hallway, and gave yourself a black eye when you stumbled into the door.” Confused, Badass Bob asks, “So, why is everything in order and so clean, and breakfast is on the table waiting for me?” His son replies, “Oh, that! Mom dragged you to the bedroom, and when she tried to take your pants off, you said, “Lady, leave me alone, I’m married’!”
Biker Prison An old biker is sitting out on his back porch just bawling his eyes out when his old lady comes out & asks him what’s wrong. He wipes his eyes & asks her if she remembers back when her daddy was gonna have him thrown in prison if he didn’t marry her. She says “yes, but what does that have to do with you bawling like a little bitch?” “ Well, he says, today I would have been released!”
Blown Seal An Eskimo’s Harley goes on the fritz. He takes it to a mechanic, who, after examining the vehicle, says, “I think you’ve blown a seal.” To which the Eskimo replies, “No, that’s just a little ice on my mustache.”
“I’m just a Bill, yes I’m only a Bill…” Many of us with a few gray hairs beginning to peek out (ok, maybe a little more than a few) will probably start singing in our heads the next line and have fond memories of sitting in front of the TV on a Saturday morning with a bowl of sugar puffs cereal in our laps watching the Schoolhouse Rock cartoon video… Come on now, you all know you still remember almost the entire song. Why is it then that so many here in Florida keep asking “What happened to the “Stiffer Penalties Bill” last year?” To answer that, let me tell you a story (no, not “bout a man named Jed, poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed”… enough childhood memories for now). In the process of telling what happened and what we’re planning to do about it, lets also talk about how ABATE of Florida gets Bills for bikers made into law. First off, the “Stiffer Penalties Bill” from the 2008-2009 FL Legislative Session was designed to even the playing field when comparing car vs. car and car vs. motorcycle accidents and the related penalties to the at-fault driver. In Florida, when a car hits another car, the driver is normally fined $500. However, when a car hits a motorcycle, the driver would only be fined $86. How is that fair, especially when car vs. bike accidents are often fatal? Last year, our “Stiffer Penalties Bill” was killed in a hearing by the second committee. What’s that mean? Let’s go over the whole process: For an idea to become a law with ABATE of Florida’s involvement, Doc Reichenbach, the President and Lobbyist for ABATE of Florida, Inc., will bring up an issue, usually concerning motorcyclists. The ABATE of Florida State Board of Directors and the Chapter Delegates from each of the 32 chapters throughout Florida will meet and discuss this issue, and after talking with each Chapters’ Members, make a decision if ABATE of Florida wishes to file a bill to deal with the specific issue. Next, Doc will write up the language of the proposed Bill and then lobby for a State Representative or Senator to “sponsor” it in the Florida Legislature. The Bill will next be filed and numbered, then after the “First Reading”, it will usually be referred to the appropriate committees for review. Keep in mind that there are normally many committees our Bill has to go through, almost none of them will meet only once about this Bill, and our Bill can be killed or modified at any of these many hearings. To help prevent our Bill dying a tragic death, Doc goes to testify at these hearings and meet with the Senators or Representatives to help breathe life into it. Doc and Scribe (ABATE of Florida’s Legislative Trustee) will then keep an eye on the Bill’s activity as it proceeds through these committee and council hearings. Hopefully, our Bill will receive a “favorable” report from these bodies, and if so, it’s off for a “Second” and “Third Hearing” before being voted on in the House or Senate. Once it passes that, it’s off to begin the same process in the opposite side of State Legislature, and Doc and Scribe have to be at it again. Once it has successfully navigated through all of this, our Bill now has to be signed by the Governor, who can still Veto it. Our “Stiffer Penalties Bill” was doing well last year. All of the sudden, the Chairperson of the committee on Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations was not happy with some of the posturing being done with the Bill’s timeliness, NOT AT ALL the fault of anyone with ABATE of Florida, Inc. This resulted in our Bill dying in committee. The Legislators involved understood the situation, and Doc is again preparing to write another version of the “Stiffer Penalties Bill”. It’s expected that one of the many Representatives that support us will sponsor this version again. The description in the 1975 Schoolhouse Rock cartoon “I’m Just a Bill” may sound complicated enough, but to get a full understanding of the ENTIRE process an idea takes to become a law in Florida, make sure to download and read the November 2009 Scribe’s Legislative Voice by visiting www.abateflorida.com, then clicking on the Legislative Information Center link. Lockdown, State PR/Communications Trustee, ABATE of Florida, Inc. statepr-comm@abateflorida.com www.abateflorida.com
Motorcycle Managmenent by Michael McMillan Being Aware as Opposed to Being There Michael Mcmillan is the Traffic Safety Program Manager at Naval Air Station Pensacola,a full-time motorcycle and AAA driving instructor and has been a MSFcertified RiderCoach for almost ten years.
Back in early January, I was on my way to teach a sportbike class in Milton, Florida, which is about 35 miles from my usual base of operations in Pensacola. It was going to be a clear winter day, and as I walked out to my bike in the pre-dawn dimness that morning it was colder than an IRS agent’s heart. I had recently become what a friend of mine refers to as a ‘cupcake’ (a motorcyclist who uses electrically heated gear). When I left the house it was 27 degrees outside so I cranked my brand-spankin-new electric jacket liner to high after jacking it into the bike’s electrical system for the first time, and set off with a good attitude and a big grin. For about 20 minutes I was amazed. How could I have gotten to be fift…um...the age I am now, without ever having worn electric gear?!? It was wonderful. I’ve never liked winter. All my life I’ve been the guy who was freezing, standing there in full (multi-layered) winter clothing while someone in a t-shirt and a denim jacket claimed to be ‘Toasty Warm”. For the first time ever, here I was in serious cold and I honestly could say I knew what being Toasty Warm felt like. The warmth grew until it enveloped my entire being like a cozy cocoon. I was Toasty Warm! My toes were warm and they weren’t even electrificated. (That’s pronounced ‘electri-ficated’) And I just kept getting warmer. Then the realization began slowly to dawn on me that if I didn’t do something soon, my wonderful new electrically heated jacket liner was going to cook me. If you were to ever tell me that someday I would be riding a motorcycle at Interstate highway speeds at sunrise in 27 degree weather and be desperately seeking some way to cool off, I would have though you were a very funny person, or perhaps the dosage of your medications needed a little fine-tuning. The jacket liner has a controller that straps to your left thigh so the control is convenient
and always immediately at hand. The problem is that in order for your hand to actually DO anything with the controller, you have to look straight down to see it. Since it was new to me, and I was wearing cold weather gloves that are at least twice as thick and bulky as any other gloves I own, I had to fiddle with the thermostat a bit to get it dialed back from ‘broil’ to the ‘medium-rare’ setting. To paraphrase my friend Dennis, I don’t usually have any gadget distractions when I ride. No GPS, Ipod, or radar detector. No Blue Tooth, not even a cruise control. All those things compete for my attention or lull me into complacency, and that’s not good. As a matter of fact, I ride without those things specifically because I enjoy the Zen-like feeling that comes with thinking about nothing but the process of the ride. Normally when I ride I am hyper-focused on what I’m doing, it’s like a super power or what athletes refer to as being “in the Zone”. Very little happens within striking distance that I don’t spot and add to my situation awareness and threat detection radar. I take a good deal of personal satisfaction in the fact that it is very rare for me to be caught off guard. This morning, however, was one of those times. I looked up from the cooker control to find myself in the middle of an intersection. And not just any intersection but the biggest, busiest intersection I pass through on the whole commute. Six lanes of through traffic plus turn lanes, and the cross street is five lanes. And by this time, morning rush-hour has begun in earnest. The four cars in the on-coming left turn lane were all sitting and patiently waiting, just as they’re supposed to. Uncountable dozens of cars were going in every direction. The guy from the cross street to my right actually came to a complete stop and waited for me to clear the intersection before hanging a right on red. Cars from all directions observed proper lane discipline and obeyed the light. Pedestrians waited instead of shooting the gaps. There was even a medium-sized mixed-breed dog that just stood there near the corner with an, “It sure would be fun to chase him!” look on his little dog face. On this beautiful day, even the dog just watched me go by. In spite of the fact that absolutely nothing happened, that incident scared the hell out of me. I had lost focus and by the time my eyes and mind came back to what they should have been doing all along, it was too late. There were twenty or thirty different things that could have gone wrong in that intersection, none of them good, most of them painful, some of them deadly. And by the time I became aware of the danger, it was too late to do anything about the majority of those potential problems. I’ve never been down on a public road while riding a motorcycle, but it could easily have happened that day. Simply put - I was lucky. Pay attention out there, okay? A biker is riding along a country lane, when a sparrow flies up in front of him. The biker can’t do anything and hits the sparrow. As he looks in his rear view mirror, he sees the sparrow lying in the road. Being the kind of guy he is, he stops, picks up the sparrow and takes it home and puts it in a cage, still in a coma. When the sparrow wakes up the following morning, he looks through the bars of the cage and says, “Shit, I must have killed the biker”.
Dress For Safety It’s gettin cold again. I kinda like looking for the styles when I ride the highways, seems as if everyone has their own style...mostly whatever they can get to fit around their regular clothes and still sling that leg over the bike saddle. I’ve seen towels wrapped around necks, two or three layers of gloves, and on the other end I see folks with $500 leather suits made for touring. Leathers are tough on the outside, to protect your skin from road rash. That’s a good thought, but I have almost made a religion of keeping the rubber side down on the road. Leather also blocks the wind, but leaves the area behind the leather as cold as any refrigerator, or worse. I have found the canvas of various manufacturer’s coveralls, such as Carhartt’s, to be almost as tough as leather and way less expensive for the average rider. Quilted coveralls have the added convenience of coming in just about any size you can imagine. You can buy them large enough that your street clothes don’t get wrinkled and mussed...you don’t have to find someplace to get dressed all over again when you get to work. They come in a variety of colors, from an incredibly ugly brown to bright yellow. Coveralls are water resistant, not waterproof, but that can be remedied by spray waterproofing you can purchase at almost any supermarket. You can buy the coveralls online for less than $100. Gloves are another question entirely down here on the Florida Panhandle. Almost all of the leather gloves I have tried look REALLY warm, and are not really warm at all. Standard issue military gloves, with a leather shell and woolen liners seem to work ok, but do not leave your hands toasty warm. Some of the electrified gloves seem to work ok for a while,then die because the wiring gets wet or twisted. Most of the ones I have used remain unsatisfactory. The search this year has gone over to the snowmobiler’s shopping area, and these seem to offer the best of all worlds as a solution for the long suffering Panhandle Biker’s hands. Most of these feature a textured palm of cloth or leather, and a windproof fabric outside with Gore-Tex Thinsulate lining. The Gore-Tex lining wicks moisture escaping from your hands, and keeps your hands try and warm. You can purchase quality snowmobile gloves online starting around $34. Don’t let the dry, penetrating cold of the Panhandle ruin your concentration or your enjoyment of your favorite rides, or even your commute to work. Dressing properly allows you to concentrate on keeping those aliens on four wheels from running you down, and allows you to experience the awesome light shows that the Panhandle puts on just for us at daylight and dusk in winter.
Ride Hard, Ride Safe, Arrive Alive!
Into the sunset Panhandle Biker does not tout one type of motorcycle over another. I ride a great big Touring Cruiser because I am old enough to have earned my creature comforts, and because I am a large man. My sons all ride sport bikes because they love them. My wife is actually thinking about the new style scooters...which, by the way, are a far cry from the old Vespa style scooters of the 50’s and 60’s. It really doesn’t matter what you ride, as long as you love the feel of the wind on your face and the freedom of the road you can only feel while riding a motorcycle. Anyone who looks can see we are all tied together by these incredible machines. We meet and talk to each other at grocery store parking lots. Little kids stare at our rides and wave, or turn and say “Look Mommy, its a MOTORCYCLE!” Everyone seems attracted to them, even people who swear they would never ride one. How often do strangers approach you while you are getting ready to walk into a store, a theater, or a restaurant and engage you in a conversation about your bike? I don’t seem to be able to go anywhere without making a new friend. I really believe the wistfulness that I see in the eyes of these new friends is as much due to the desire to be part of the extended family of bikers as it is love of the machines themselves. I encourage all of them to join the family; after all, we are conserving natural resources by driving machines that use less fuel. We tend to be active in charities (how many weekends pass without SOME kind of Poker Run for charities?) We tend to be more alert, vibrant human beings (and we are, otherwise we would all be grease spots on some stretch of highway.) We take up less space and cause less wear and tear on the roadways themselves, we don’t contribute to traffic problems...except maybe at Thunder Beach or other such rallies. Most of all, we are more in contact with nature than anyone with air conditioning and a sealed cabin can ever dream of being. I notice the birds (not to mention the deer, raccoons, and possum), the trees, the wind, and the weather much more on my bike than I could in any car. My bike makes me feel vibrant and alive...and that is the way I choose to live my life. I ride it home across the Bay, across the dam, and all my worries and cares of the day disappear while I experience the sheer delight of cruising on my bike. I wish I could share that experience with every human being alive. Maybe, just maybe, if you pass the word about this new magazine of mine to all your biker friends, I can accomplish just that. Right now, I’m gonna ride off into the sunset, and see what’s around that next curve.
Ride hard, Ride safe, and Arrive Alive!
Laughin’ is Livin’... Deadly Lunch! A Harley rider, a Honda rider and a Suzuki rider all worked together building a skyscraper. They were eating lunch together one day on the 30th floor structure. The Harley rider said, “Man, chicken again. If I have chicken in my bucket tomorrow, I’m jumping!” The Honda rider said, “Crap, bologna again. If I have bologna in my bucket tomorrow, I’ll jump, too!” The Suzuki rider said, “Well, I’ve got rice again and if I have rice tomorrow, I’ll jump, too!” The next day the Harley rider opened his bucket, had chicken, and jumped. The Honda rider had bologna and jumped. The Suzuki rider had rice, he jumped, too. The funerals were held together and the wives of the three were talking. The Harley widow said, “If I had only known I would not have packed chicken”. The Honda widow said the same about bologna. The Suzuki widow just shrugged her shoulders and said, “Don’t blame me, he packed his own lunch!”
Harley Heaven Arthur Davidson of the Harley Davidson Motorcycle Corp, dies and goes to Heaven. At the gates, an angel tells him, “Well, you’ve been such a good guy and your motorcycles have changed the world. As a reward you can hang out with anyone you want to in Heaven.” Davidson thinks about it and says, “I wanna hang out with God himself.” The befeathered fellow at the gate takes Arthur to the throne room and introduces him to God... Arthur asks God, “Hey aren’t you the inventor of the woman??” God says, “Yes.” “Well,” says Davidson, “You have some major design flaws in your invention: 1. There’s too much front protrusion 2. It chatters at high speeds 3 The rear end wobbles too much, and 4. The intake is placed too close to the exhaust.” “Hmmmmm...” replies God. “Hold on.” God goes to his celestial supercomputer, types in a few lines and waits for the results. The computer prints out a slip of paper and God reads it. “It may be that my invention is flawed,” God replies to Arthur. “But according to my computer, more people are riding my invention than yours.”